Posts Tagged ‘saltiest foods’

What’s going to become of health-care in the U.S. in the wake of partial “reform” and evaporating public funding, is anyone’s guess. What’s more certain is that it’s prudent for one to take good care of oneself– to stay out of the system…

The Mayo Clinic reminds us that the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg for those age 51 or older, or African-Americans, or those with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

But the average American takes in about 3,400 milligrams of sodium every day. And studies suggest that a high-sodium diet is linked to a host of ailments, including high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, and exercise-induced asthma.

So it’s bracing (if not indeed shocking) to consider the salt content of restaurant meals…

P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles with Pork

7,900 milligrams sodium
1,652 calories
84 g fat (12 g saturated)

Sodium Equivalent = 23 Slabs of Hormel Canadian Style Bacon
Here are a few things with less salt than these sodium-sunk nefarious noodles: 239 Saltine crackers, 153 cups of Newman’s Butter popcorn, and 22 orders of McDonald’s large French fries…

Sodium Equivalent = 31 servings of Ruffles (that’s more than two “Family Size” bags!)
Avoiding salt at Applebee’s is nearly impossible. Not even the “healthy” selections pass muster. The six items on the Under 550 Calories menu average 2,341 mg of sodium per entree. The five items on the Weight Watchers menu average 2,448 mg…

As we insist on at least two colors (not counting ketchup) on our plates, we might wish a juicy Happy Birthday to actress Shanelle Workman (Gray); she was born on this date in 1978. While she’s probably most widely recognized for her role as Sarah “Flash” Roberts on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live (2003 and 2004), she is probably most widely heard as the voice of “Wendy” in commercials for the fast food chain.

Medical authorities recommend that adults consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day– about 1,000 mg less than the average American actually ingests– lest one suffer high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, and/or exercise-induced asthma.

From the folks at Rodale and Men’s Health, a cautionary guide to restaurant entrees across our heavily-salted nation: “30 Saltiest Foods in America.” Number 1? An offering that’s no slouch when it comes to calories and fat content, but that is an undisputed champion in the sodium sweepstakes:

Sodium Equivalent = 31 Slabs of Hormel Canadian Style Bacon
Here are a few things with less salt than this sodium-sunk beef blowout: 244 Saltine crackers, 40 bags of Funyuns, 175 cups of Newman’s Butter popcorn, and 28 orders of McDonald’s large French fries.

As we aspire to life above the salt, we might recall that it was on this date in 1910 that Alice B. Toklas moved in with– and became the life-long house mate of– Gertrude Stein. Together, they turned their Parisian home at 22 rue de Fleurus into an artistic and literary salon, where they entertained Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald, among many others.